My First Marine Aquarium

[marinetankguppy]

Acclimatize? Oopps too late, he's in, he's happie and he's swimming about with everyone! this time round coz everybody is soooo big, he's not exactly able to bully anyone...hahahahahahah

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK - Wilson Hogfish!

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...on-hogfish.html

Thanks Wilson! woohoo the hogfish is actually the exact same type of hogfish as mine.. just half the size! and both hogfishes , in fact EVERYBODY got along soooo well, My only worry now...the hogfish you have so generously given to me,, is the same size as the dottyback that got eaten by the lionfish....

Will keep everybody posted!

I LOVE THIS FORUM ALREADY hahahahahahhha

[wilsontantw]

Acclimatize? Oopps too late, he's in, he's happie and he's swimming about with everyone! this time round coz everybody is soooo big, he's not exactly able to bully anyone...hahahahahahah

NEW KID ON THE BLOCK - Wilson Hogfish!

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...on-hogfish.html

Thanks Wilson! woohoo the hogfish is actually the exact same type of hogfish as mine.. just half the size! and both hogfishes , in fact EVERYBODY got along soooo well, My only worry now...the hogfish you have so generously given to me,, is the same size as the dottyback that got eaten by the lionfish....

Will keep everybody posted!

I LOVE THIS FORUM ALREADY hahahahahahhha

Hahah... so you named it after me huh... haha... Good to see that it's doing well. Hogfish swims very fast, and hides very well. So don't think it'll become ur lion's food.

Do try the food that i passed to you (not a lot lah), but good enough for you to let ur fish try it.

[marinetankguppy]

IT'S 12:30PM ...IM COUNTING THE FISHES IN MY TANK..

lIONFISH - Checked

BLUE TANG - Checked

POWDER BROWN TANG - Checked

MAROOM CLOWN -Checked

BIG THREESPOT HOGFISH - Checked

WILSON HOGFISH - CANNOT FIND!!!!

DID WILSON GET EATEN!!????!!!

I will keep searching! #$@@!!*&#

[marinetankguppy]

1240PM .... WILSON HOG SPOTTED - Hiding in the rocks ...Phew!

www.marinetankmasak.blogspot.com

[wilsontantw]

1240PM .... WILSON HOG SPOTTED - Hiding in the rocks ...Phew!

www.marinetankmasak.blogspot.com

Wa Piang eh, dun scare me like this leh!

Im sure wilson the hogfish is very resourceful (just like wilson tha man).

hahaha...

Thanks for adopting the candy hog, now i can buy new fish liao (which i obviously did today!)

[marinetankguppy]

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...t-official.html

INSTALLED SOLITE 4 TUBE LAMPS!!!

AND AND AND

THE LION IS FEEDING LO!!!

happie happie happie

[wilsontantw]

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...t-official.html

INSTALLED SOLITE 4 TUBE LAMPS!!!

AND AND AND

THE LION IS FEEDING LO!!!

happie happie happie

Wah... very happy to know that your lion is eating market prawns! Good tactic of keeping it hungry for a few days, then finally feed it with a nice piece of prawn meet.

Thats really good news, coz it means you dun have to keep buying $1 clowns to feed it. haha.

Congratulations... time to buy more lions!

[marinetankguppy]

AWWWW SHUCKS!!!

I just spotted little white tiny spots ( look like white cyrstals) on both Blue Tang and Powder Brown Tang ... HOW?

Help!!! anyone knows what i can do to fix the problem ? is this what is known as white spots?

i read somewhere we have to dunk in fresh water?

can anyone here help with suggestions ?

www.marinetankmasak.blogspot.com

[RockyBoy]

AWWWW SHUCKS!!!

I just spotted little white tiny spots ( look like white cyrstals) on both Blue Tang and Powder Brown Tang ... HOW?

Help!!! anyone knows what i can do to fix the problem ? is this what is known as white spots?

i read somewhere we have to dunk in fresh water?

can anyone here help with suggestions ?

www.marinetankmasak.blogspot.com

White spots... Oooo...

If the fishes are swimming normally and eating like no tomorrow, then it should be fine. They will overcome the ich in a few days/week time.

[marinetankguppy]

White spots... Oooo...

If the fishes are swimming normally and eating like no tomorrow, then it should be fine. They will overcome the ich in a few days/week time.

Hmmm swimming erm rather insanely - rubbing themselves against the rocks and the sand ...

eating -- ya eat like piggies

so technically the whitespots will clear in a few days time? Im keeping my fins crossed! still worrying though.... sigh

[RockyBoy]

Hmmm swimming erm rather insanely - rubbing themselves against the rocks and the sand ...

eating -- ya eat like piggies

so technically the whitespots will clear in a few days time? Im keeping my fins crossed! still worrying though.... sigh

Feed them with more nutritious & fresh food such as henry food, etc, to boost their immunity. Ich is always in the tank, but it will not stick to the fish easily if the fishes are healthy.

[reefer_cosmo]

AWWWW SHUCKS!!!

I just spotted little white tiny spots ( look like white cyrstals) on both Blue Tang and Powder Brown Tang ... HOW?

Help!!! anyone knows what i can do to fix the problem ? is this what is known as white spots?

i read somewhere we have to dunk in fresh water?

can anyone here help with suggestions ?

www.marinetankmasak.blogspot.com

Install UV, it helps to control ich ... works wonders. Had 2 major outbreaks, then fed-up .... go buy UV and after installing, no more ich outbreaks.

[reefer_cosmo]

Install UV, it helps to control ich ... works wonders. Had 2 major outbreaks, then fed-up .... go buy UV and after installing, no more ich outbreaks.

Sorry, just went to visit your blog and saw the pictures of your setup. huge tank, i must say. your 9w UV is not enough for tank of this size. in addition, i think your in and out flow to your UV placed in such a way that limits maximum water circulation (thus contact and ich killing capability).

for UV, ich will be killed during the free swimming stage ... so it is normal to see your fish do "glancing" (rubbing against rocks, sand) motions for a few days, then the ich drops off, crawls around like a small bug ... lots of them, makes your skin itch just looking at them. after that, they cocoon up, then burst ... become many small free swimming guys in the water ... that's when UV will kill them. but you only got 6 to 12 hours window of opportunity, so make sure your tank's volume of water are all passed through your UV device.

plus, if you use too large a pump, too fast a flow through the UV device, the effectiveness will be reduced tremendously (esp with a small 9w unit, very short). so if you have large tank, large pumps, high flow rate, you will need a very long UV device (and higher wattage, of course).

it all adds up, marine tank very expensive to upkeep ... esp for a large tank. how much u paying for electricity? got a chiller?

[marinetankguppy]

Sorry, just went to visit your blog and saw the pictures of your setup. huge tank, i must say. your 9w UV is not enough for tank of this size. in addition, i think your in and out flow to your UV placed in such a way that limits maximum water circulation (thus contact and ich killing capability).

for UV, ich will be killed during the free swimming stage ... so it is normal to see your fish do "glancing" (rubbing against rocks, sand) motions for a few days, then the ich drops off, crawls around like a small bug ... lots of them, makes your skin itch just looking at them. after that, they cocoon up, then burst ... become many small free swimming guys in the water ... that's when UV will kill them. but you only got 6 to 12 hours window of opportunity, so make sure your tank's volume of water are all passed through your UV device.

plus, if you use too large a pump, too fast a flow through the UV device, the effectiveness will be reduced tremendously (esp with a small 9w unit, very short). so if you have large tank, large pumps, high flow rate, you will need a very long UV device (and higher wattage, of course).

it all adds up, marine tank very expensive to upkeep ... esp for a large tank. how much u paying for electricity? got a chiller?

HMMMMMMMM so buy one more UV light? two times the duty? gosh.... this is getting more n more expensive. other forumers have also been advising that my el cheapo skimmer is also not enough for my 4 ft tank...

u are right abt the ich .. fishies have been rubbing insanely everywhere...sometimes the hogfish will nibble on the fishies...but ..still the ich is still there ..im waiting and observing now. I didnt know abt the pump being too powerful...hence flow too fast thro UV device...hmmm yes installed the UV there to precisely prevent the ich ..but but...ya lor not seem to work.. its putting a slow brake on my plans to bring other tangs home

No chiller yet... bill..havent opened it yet hahahahahha tooo afraid.. but its like riding a tiger you know ? on tiger already.. aint abt to get off yet

so far.the joy of watching my new babies swim about.. has been quite quite satisfying.

thanks for the advice..hmm need to rework and re-look..

stay tuned!

[wilsontantw]

Hi hi...

sad to hear that you're battling the ich problem... that's the Powder Browns are known to be difficult tangs to keep... typically (though not always), it's recommended for more matured tanks.

hey, nonethless, i believe UV should help, i've personally never used any UV before (never at all)... and my blue tang recover from ich by itself.

Thus, really can't advice you much, but i would really think my skimmer took alot of crap out of the tank, you should see how much '###### mask' it generates in just 1 week!

whichever way, i hope your fish will recover from it...

below are my $0.02

1) Get a doctor wrasse... mine does help to clean up my YT and BT.

2) Do try to get a decent skimmer, if for any reason you can't, see point 3.

3) Try to do a weekly water change

4) Try to feed ur fish with the 'trial' henry's mix i pass you previously... (or try ocean nutrition pellets - those with garlic)

5) Q: do you usually throw away the water that comes with the fish when you bought it?

But nonetheless, don't give up, just read up a little more online... or borrow some books... (you can get lotsa information online these days, so who needs to go to the library? haha... oppps... i hope no NLB staff sees this.)

At this stage, (until your fishes recover), dont buy any more fish...

HMMMMMMMM so buy one more UV light? two times the duty? gosh.... this is getting more n more expensive. other forumers have also been advising that my el cheapo skimmer is also not enough for my 4 ft tank...

u are right abt the ich .. fishies have been rubbing insanely everywhere...sometimes the hogfish will nibble on the fishies...but ..still the ich is still there ..im waiting and observing now. I didnt know abt the pump being too powerful...hence flow too fast thro UV device...hmmm yes installed the UV there to precisely prevent the ich ..but but...ya lor not seem to work.. its putting a slow brake on my plans to bring other tangs home

No chiller yet... bill..havent opened it yet hahahahahha tooo afraid.. but its like riding a tiger you know ? on tiger already.. aint abt to get off yet

so far.the joy of watching my new babies swim about.. has been quite quite satisfying.

thanks for the advice..hmm need to rework and re-look..

stay tuned!

[reefer_cosmo]

HMMMMMMMM so buy one more UV light? two times the duty? gosh.... this is getting more n more expensive. other forumers have also been advising that my el cheapo skimmer is also not enough for my 4 ft tank...

u are right abt the ich .. fishies have been rubbing insanely everywhere...sometimes the hogfish will nibble on the fishies...but ..still the ich is still there ..im waiting and observing now. I didnt know abt the pump being too powerful...hence flow too fast thro UV device...hmmm yes installed the UV there to precisely prevent the ich ..but but...ya lor not seem to work.. its putting a slow brake on my plans to bring other tangs home

No chiller yet... bill..havent opened it yet hahahahahha tooo afraid.. but its like riding a tiger you know ? on tiger already.. aint abt to get off yet

so far.the joy of watching my new babies swim about.. has been quite quite satisfying.

thanks for the advice..hmm need to rework and re-look..

stay tuned!

Yeap, like I said ... it all adds up. Bigger the tank, more expensive the equipments needed and also the variable costs involved for upkeep (i.e. Calcium, Mag, Sel, Carbonate, Coral food dosing ... activated carbon, phosphate remover etc., then comes the electricity bill)

Not easy to maintain a Marine tank on the cheap, and still produce excellent results (i.e. Corals reproducing, instead of just keeping them alive for display only).

Just your complete range of test kits for all parameters needed to keep excellent water quality: S$200

A bottle of Rowaphos 500ml (to remove phosphate): S$70

The above items are just some quick example of the kind of "Variable costs" on an on-going basis you need to take into account of. There are 2 ways to go about it, since changing of saltwater can be troublesome and expensive too (i.e. 4kg Tropic Marine salt-mix, around $30, able to make 120L ... appox 30 gallons) ... for your kind of tank, just 2 small partial water change, you will use up the whole pack. Then, if you want to do it "correctly", you will need RO/DI unit to filter your tap water, which will set you back another $300+ to $400 ... the filter media canister needs to be changed too, more on-going costs involved. But, if you buy pre-packed Natural Sea Water from the fish farms, you got a heck of a logistical problem. Try carrying 20 to 60 kg of salt water up and down from the farm, into your car, then up to your apartment ... then change it ... whaoooo, once and you will give up, not to mention doing it twice a month!

So, sorry .. sidetracked a bit there ... the 1st way to maintain good water parameters is to do consistent partial new water changes. Costs and effort as document above. The 2nd way is to buy a VERY good skimmer, and then buy AZ-NO3 to dose. (btw, Weipro not considered as a good skimmer) Both ways the long term costs will work out to be the same, more or less ... the only difference is your physically effort needed. For regular water change, more effort required ... the good skimmer and AZ-NO3 route, less effort required. I went with the 2nd way, becoz my tank much smaller (100L).

For a large tank like yours, with a sump ... can consider Deep Sand Bed (DSB). But this will take a while to mature, meanwhile you still need to use 1st or 2nd way to export NO3 until your DSB with the anaerobic bacteria have established themselves.

I started a thread that survey other bros' experiences in their electricity bill consumption, you can read it to get a guide ... becoz I am experiencing very high electricity bill for a very small tank, with very low wattage equipment. So, need to be mentally prepared for the costs to add up.

[marinetankguppy]

Wow..thats alot of information to study and digest !

Which i will..But will persevere! because they are soooo adorable! work hard make more money for my babies!!!!

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...el-fishies.html

on a positive note - i got my first copepods! whahahahah

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...s-on-glass.html

many thanks for the advice.. let me read more..

oh btw...tat why me no corals yet...baby steps... scary scary scary territory ...

Yeap, like I said ... it all adds up. Bigger the tank, more expensive the equipments needed and also the variable costs involved for upkeep (i.e. Calcium, Mag, Sel, Carbonate, Coral food dosing ... activated carbon, phosphate remover etc., then comes the electricity bill)

Not easy to maintain a Marine tank on the cheap, and still produce excellent results (i.e. Corals reproducing, instead of just keeping them alive for display only).

Just your complete range of test kits for all parameters needed to keep excellent water quality: S$200

A bottle of Rowaphos 500ml (to remove phosphate): S$70

The above items are just some quick example of the kind of "Variable costs" on an on-going basis you need to take into account of. There are 2 ways to go about it, since changing of saltwater can be troublesome and expensive too (i.e. 4kg Tropic Marine salt-mix, around $30, able to make 120L ... appox 30 gallons) ... for your kind of tank, just 2 small partial water change, you will use up the whole pack. Then, if you want to do it "correctly", you will need RO/DI unit to filter your tap water, which will set you back another $300+ to $400 ... the filter media canister needs to be changed too, more on-going costs involved. But, if you buy pre-packed Natural Sea Water from the fish farms, you got a heck of a logistical problem. Try carrying 20 to 60 kg of salt water up and down from the farm, into your car, then up to your apartment ... then change it ... whaoooo, once and you will give up, not to mention doing it twice a month!

So, sorry .. sidetracked a bit there ... the 1st way to maintain good water parameters is to do consistent partial new water changes. Costs and effort as document above. The 2nd way is to buy a VERY good skimmer, and then buy AZ-NO3 to dose. (btw, Weipro not considered as a good skimmer) Both ways the long term costs will work out to be the same, more or less ... the only difference is your physically effort needed. For regular water change, more effort required ... the good skimmer and AZ-NO3 route, less effort required. I went with the 2nd way, becoz my tank much smaller (100L).

For a large tank like yours, with a sump ... can consider Deep Sand Bed (DSB). But this will take a while to mature, meanwhile you still need to use 1st or 2nd way to export NO3 until your DSB with the anaerobic bacteria have established themselves.

I started a thread that survey other bros' experiences in their electricity bill consumption, you can read it to get a guide ... becoz I am experiencing very high electricity bill for a very small tank, with very low wattage equipment. So, need to be mentally prepared for the costs to add up.

[reefer_cosmo]

I read you feed $1 nemo to your tigerfish (or is it lionfish, ha ha ha, me got all mixed up too!) Can consider live prawns that people sell at fishing ponds. $4 for 100 grams

[reefer_cosmo]

Wow..thats alot of information to study and digest !

Which i will..But will persevere! because they are soooo adorable! work hard make more money for my babies!!!!

...

oh btw...tat why me no corals yet...baby steps... scary scary scary territory ...

I believe you have already read about the basic ANN cycle, since you have come such a long way, and have a tank with some fishes already. Whatever goes in (things that you feed), and wastes that fish produces, will end up being converted to NO3 (Nitrate) ... and it stays there in your water system, and keeps accumulating unless you do something about it.

When I was less experienced, I kept on wondering why the fishes that we keep in our improvised salt-water tank cannot live beyond 1 month ... becoz I never change water mah, and NO3 levels was way too high! ha ha ha. Back then lagi funny, bought skimmer, then skimmer not working (matched the wrong flowrate of pump to skimmer) ... then still sit around and wonder why fishes die, got skimmer what (but no skimmate ever produced!)

So, it's really a journey ... learn through experiences and mistakes made. But this forum got lots of helpful old hands who are willing to share their experiences ... just need to ask.

Ok, sorry ... off topic again, starting to sound like an old man ...

My point is that at this stage, since you are considering only FOWLR, then you have less parameters to worry about. The most important thing to note is your NO3, don't let it accumulate to too high a level (this will wipe out your whole tank). If during your regular testing of the water parameters, and there is a spike in Ammonia reading ... check where this source of ammonia is coming from, usually a dead fish decomposing in your tank (trapped between LR) ... if there are no obvious source that the Ammonia can come from, then it is either overfeeding or your Bio filteration is not established yet. So, go easy on feeding and do not add anymore new fishes.

[marinetankguppy]

I am so annoyed with myself.

WHITE SPOTMADNESS CONTINUES BECAUSE I WAS A BLUR C**KSTER!

to all new marine tank masakers - 13 watt UV light on doesnt mean UV is working ...duh.

a friend came to my aid in response to my white spot SOS calls.... only to discover .

- yes UV light was working it was on and bright ...BUT!!!

the PUMP ...tat brings the water through the UV light was not switched on! aaaaaargh!!!

that was why the white spots dont seem to be clearing that was why the UV light didnt seem to work...that is why my poor tangs are suffering! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

check your equipment often and check them properly!!! I am so annoyed with myself!

[Underwater]

I am so annoyed with myself.

WHITE SPOTMADNESS CONTINUES BECAUSE I WAS A BLUR C**KSTER!

to all new marine tank masakers - 13 watt UV light on doesnt mean UV is working ...duh.

a friend came to my aid in response to my white spot SOS calls.... only to discover .

- yes UV light was working it was on and bright ...BUT!!!

the PUMP ...tat brings the water through the UV light was not switched on! aaaaaargh!!!

that was why the white spots dont seem to be clearing that was why the UV light didnt seem to work...that is why my poor tangs are suffering! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

check your equipment often and check them properly!!! I am so annoyed with myself!

Bro, just to share that the flowrate of the pump needs to be compatible with your UV light wattage. And with UV lights on, it also doesn't mean that the ich will be eradicated. It only kills free swimming parasites that happened to pass through yr UV, not those enchrusted on fishes bodies or elsewhere in the main tank. Hence, UV can only reduce the amount of parasites. Of course, that's better than no UV light at all for your situation now.

Wish your tank ich problem subsides soon...

[wilsontantw]

I am so annoyed with myself.

WHITE SPOTMADNESS CONTINUES BECAUSE I WAS A BLUR C**KSTER!

to all new marine tank masakers - 13 watt UV light on doesnt mean UV is working ...duh.

a friend came to my aid in response to my white spot SOS calls.... only to discover .

- yes UV light was working it was on and bright ...BUT!!!

the PUMP ...tat brings the water through the UV light was not switched on! aaaaaargh!!!

that was why the white spots dont seem to be clearing that was why the UV light didnt seem to work...that is why my poor tangs are suffering! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

check your equipment often and check them properly!!! I am so annoyed with myself!

I dunno whether to laff or feel bad (actually i did both).

Oh btw, as your tank's FOWLR, you may just wanna try to catch all the fish, and dip them into some copper solution (i dunno what's the right name, some experienced reefers will know what this is)...

It'll help to relieve some ich problem.

[nwyk153]

I am so annoyed with myself.

WHITE SPOTMADNESS CONTINUES BECAUSE I WAS A BLUR C**KSTER!

to all new marine tank masakers - 13 watt UV light on doesnt mean UV is working ...duh.

a friend came to my aid in response to my white spot SOS calls.... only to discover .

- yes UV light was working it was on and bright ...BUT!!!

the PUMP ...tat brings the water through the UV light was not switched on! aaaaaargh!!!

that was why the white spots dont seem to be clearing that was why the UV light didnt seem to work...that is why my poor tangs are suffering! aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!

check your equipment often and check them properly!!! I am so annoyed with myself!

Don't worry bro. It happen to me too. Forgot to On the pump, then leak, then into the rubbish chute . Remind me to get a new one soon.

[marinetankguppy]

I FOUND A STOWAWAY IN MY TANK!

Yes its been some time since i posted on my marinetankmasak blog. Thats because Im still battling Ich. Yes its unbelievable but its true. bluey is sort of on the path to recovery but brown tang is still covered in white spots...sigh. anyway to last night's new discovery!

My tank has been in operation with live rocks fishie etc for over 2 months today and i thought i had 6 in my happy little tank family...boy was i so wrong! Looks like i got more than live rocks when i brought them home last time.. hee hee FREEBIE CRITTERS

Hmm wonder if there are more I havent noticed yet?

check it out! i took pics of my free critter

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...ie-critter.html

[marinetankguppy]

EATEN ALIVE BY THE LION! EEEWWWWWWWWWWW

http://marinetankmasak.blogspot.com/2008/0...-alive-wtf.html

All this time i was so stressed tat because wilsonhog was so tiny he would end up like dottyback...but no...it seems wilsonhog has 9 lives

My fishie population is dwindling...man this marine tank masak thingy is so exciting.. i watched a real life murder in progress! gross!